Ruff Park will feature four-wheeled racing Friday and Saturday as the 17th Annual Kiwanis Club’s Soapbox Derby returns to the temporary downhill track.
Event organizer Annie Catron said over 40 racers will compete in the two-day event that begins with a special race Friday night at six.
click to download audioDrivers began working on their cars weeks ago with the final touches taking place last Saturday before being impounded. Catron is hoping to see the race get back to pre-pandemic numbers.
click to download audioRacers will compete in three divisions — stock, super stock, and masters.
The first soap box derby in Hopkinsville was held in 2005 at the former Bethel Hill course location. Catron said the derby was moved to Ruff Park two years ago to a track that was less steep.
click to download audioCatron said the new location has proven to be more racer and family-friendly.
click to download audioThe winners in each division will advance to the 85th World Championships in Akron, Ohio next month. The annual event is held at Derby Downs, a three-lane track that runs past the Rubber Bowl and ends next to the Akron Fulton International Airport.
A long-term goal Catron would like to see realized is for Hopkinsville to create its own racing park.
click to download audioFriday’s super kids’ race begins at 6 o’clock with Saturday morning’s racing to begin at 8 o’clock.
